The Earlier the Better

In these troubled times, What should we be telling our children about life, That gives them the tools they need, To navigate a path away from fear, Away from drugs, Away from comfort food, Away from thoughtless acts, Away from gangs, and those prey on the vulnerable, Away from all the things that lead to feeling, Useless, hopeless, with anger frustration, Taking them down the path of negativity, envy, jealousy, Which can only end badly for them and those who care, For them the most. In these troubled times, When we ourselves are struggling with the exact same issues, It is never too early to talk about choices, The good ones and the bad ones, That got us where we are today, And made us the people we have become. In these troubled times, It is never too early, To choose to talk about choices, In simple terms, Emphasising our own struggles, And how we would never have made it though, Without support from others who cared enough, To talk to us about choices and their consequences.